Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-21
LITTLE DANDY.
q Southern story Of Life in the yicixsburg
Trenches,

pathy under other circumstances, bH.
the war-worn veterans in the trenches
had no use for the curled darlings of
the parlor, and Little Dandy's appear
ancc was against him. The lad wore
the gray uniform of private, but il
was of the very finest materai-fineI
than anything worn by our Generals.
His buttons had an unsoldierly glitter.
He sported white handkerchiefs, carried
a pocket-mirror, and every morning nc
combed and curled his golden locks u..-
til they looked like girls tresses.
"Hello, Little Dandy yelled the sol
diers, whenever the young fellow pass
ell them. To this rough salutation he
always responded with bow and Il
smile, but his soft ways did not win
favor. When we met in town we pass
ed him by without notice. and in camp
we let him alone. Little Dandy was
proud after a fashion-too proud to no.
tice the Sights heaped upon him. He
went through the routine duties with
out complaint, but nothing could induce
him TO abamion his pocket mirror and
his fancy toilets.
The siege was well under way and
we We're no better acquainted with Lit
tie Dandy than at first He shared our
meals of moldy corn bread and mule
meat without II murmur, and it must
be admitted that this raised him some
what in our estimation. But we still
had to learn what true heart beat be-
hind those glittering buttons An an
gle of the enemy's works was danger
ously close to our intrenchments and
we had to keep our heads we'll shelter
ed. When we raised a hat on the muz-
zle of musket it was invariably rid
died with bullets. One morning we
found our men being picked off by an
unseen sharpshooter at the rate of five
or six an hour. This astonished us, be-
cause we were all keeping under cover,
and the men who were killed all occu-
pied well protected positions.
Where was the sharpshooter? This
was the question uppermost in every
mind. We were not long in satisfying
ourselves on this point. Just outside
of the angle of the Federal works stood
a giant oak whose leafy top afforded
an admirable covert for an active rifle
man. A vigilant scrutiny convinced
us that the man who was doing such
deadly work in our ranks was conceal
ed in this tree. To reach it he must
have made his way there during the
night, and he would have to remain
there all day. But we could not stand
it even one day. His aim was so I'M
erring that every time his rifle cracked
Confederate bit the dust We tried
rafting discharge of musketry, but
moment later the report of the rifle
rang out, and another of our comrades
fell.
TWAS evident that, from our position,
it was almost impossible to hit the Fed
eral ritleman. If we succeeded in
bringing him down it would be by some
lucky random shot. Possibly man
outside the works would be able to
draw bead on our wary foeman, but
he would be under the guns of the enc
my and there would be thousand
chances against him.
"l'll XIII him or die!' cried shrill
voice.
Good Godlit's Little Dandym shout
ell a dozen men.
| At the risk of our lives we peepcd
over our hreastworks. Little Dandy
had already made his way to the open
space between the works and was edg-
ing around on the right OF the tree.
| The Federals saw what he was up to
and fired broadside When the smoke
cleared away and they saw the boy
with flushed face and streaming haiA
aiming his gun at the top of the old oaa
| there was tremendous cheer Itroll.
ed along both lines-the hoarse Federal
shout minging with the wild 'Rebel
yell"
Bang! A man in blue came tumb-
ling and crashing through the branches
of the tree and struck the earth with a
dull thud. 1t was the sharpshooter.
Another cheer rent the air. but this
time it was from the Confederates alone.
a sheet of flame blazed along the Fed
eral works, but when the smoke lifted
we saw Little Dandy coming full tilt in
our direction with smile on his face.
| 'Three cheers for Little Dandyr
leaped from hundreds of throats as the
boy vaulted over the breastworks, and
we rushed down upon him TO hug him,
in our frenzy of admiration and JOY.
But Little Dandy sunk down upon a
heap of loose dirt. and then we saw the
crimson stains upon his breast.
Il kept my promise he painted.
And then, as our Colonel took his hand.
the little chap looked up into his face
and said:
I'm afraid Eve made poor soldier.
Sometimes I've bothered You know
Please remember that was not very